Safety cutter with triple locking slider

Abstract

A cutter apparatus includes a housing and a blade carrier. The housing includes a channel and openings adjacent to the channel at three different sides of the housing. The blade carrier is sized to fit within and slide along the channel, and includes three engaging portions that extend from the openings such that a force bearing upon any of the portions can cause the blade carrier to slide along the channel.

1 . A cutter apparatus, comprising: 
 a housing sized to be hand-held, the housing including a channel and openings adjacent to the channel at three different sides of the housing; and    a blade carrier sized to fit within and slide along the channel, the blade carrier including three engaging portions that extend from the openings such that a force bearing upon any of the portions can cause the blade carrier to slide along the channel.    
   
   
       2 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the blade carrier is configured to secure a blade to the cutter apparatus such that a cutting edge of the blade faces a bottom side of the housing, and the three engaging portions extend from a top side, a left side, and a right side of the housing.  
   
   
       3 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the housing and the blade carrier are shaped such that a cutting force applied to the housing when the blade carrier is in an extended position causes a top edge of the blade carrier to come into contact with the housing to frictionally lock the blade carrier in the extended position until the cutting force is removed.  
   
   
       4 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 means for biasing the blade carrier toward a retracted position away from a distal end of the housing.    
   
   
       5 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the means for biasing includes a spring.  
   
   
       6 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the engaging portions include a gripping surface.  
   
   
       7 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the gripping surface includes ridges.  
   
   
       8 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an indented portion sized to receive spare blades.  
   
   
       9 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes two housing portions that are pivotally coupled together.  
   
   
       10 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 9 , further including: 
 means for securing the two housing portions together.    
   
   
       11 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein one of the two housing portions includes a threaded channel, and the means for securing includes a screw with a threaded surface complementary to the threaded channel, the screw including a head with a perimeter portion that can be rotated by a user of the cutting apparatus.  
   
   
       12 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the perimeter portion is shaped for gripping the screw.  
   
   
       13 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the head is shaped to include an ornamental design.  
   
   
       14 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the head is shaped as a tire on a rim.  
   
   
       15 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the head is shaped as a tire.  
   
   
       16 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the head is shaped as a rim for a tire.  
   
   
       17 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a clip holster sized to receive the housing therein.    
   
   
       18 . A cutter apparatus, comprising: 
 a housing with two hand-grip portions that are shaped to be interfitted together, the housing including a channel and openings facing the channel at three different locations around the housing; and    a blade carrier sized to fit within and slide along the channel, the blade carrier including three engaging portions that extend from the openings such that a sufficient force bearing upon any of the three engaging portions causes the blade carrier to slide along the channel.    
   
   
       19 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the openings are approximately equidistant from a distal end of the housing.  
   
   
       20 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the blade carrier is configured to secure a blade to the cutter apparatus such that a cutting edge of the blade faces a bottom side of the housing, and the three different locations are a top side, a left side, and a right side of the housing.  
   
   
       21 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the housing and the blade carrier are shaped such that a cutting force applied to the housing when the blade carrier is in an extended position causes a top edge of the blade carrier to come into contact with the housing to frictionally lock the blade carrier in the extended position until the cutting force is removed.  
   
   
       22 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the cutting apparatus further comprises: 
 means for biasing the blade carrier toward a retracted position away from a distal end of the housing.    
   
   
       23 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the means for biasing includes a spring.  
   
   
       24 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein one or more of the engaging portions include a gripping surface.  
   
   
       25 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the gripping surface includes ridges.  
   
   
       26 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the housing includes an indented portion sized to receive spare blades.  
   
   
       27 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the separable portions of the housing are pivotally coupled together.  
   
   
       28 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 means for securing the two hand-grip portions of the housing together.    
   
   
       29 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein one of the hand-grip portions includes a threaded channel, and the means for securing includes a screw with a threaded surface complementary to the threaded channel, the screw including a head with a perimeter portion that can be rotated by a user of the cutting apparatus.  
   
   
       30 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the perimeter portion is shaped for gripping the screw.  
   
   
       31 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the head is shaped to include an ornamental design.  
   
   
       32 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the head is shaped as a tire on a rim.  
   
   
       33 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the head is shaped as a tire.  
   
   
       34 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the head is shaped as a rim for a tire.  
   
   
       35 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a clip holster sized to receive the housing therein.    
   
   
       36 . A cutter apparatus, comprising: 
 a housing with two separable handle portions that define a channel within the housing, the housing including openings facing the channel at top, left and right sides of the housing; and    a blade carrier sized to fit within and slide along the channel, the blade carrier including three engaging portions that extend from the openings such that a sufficient force bearing upon any of the three engaging portions causes the blade carrier to slide along the channel.    
   
   
       37 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the openings are approximately equidistant from a distal end of the housing.  
   
   
       38 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the blade carrier is configured to secure a blade to the cutter apparatus such that a cutting edge of the blade faces a bottom side of the housing.  
   
   
       39 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the housing and the blade carrier are shaped such that a cutting force applied to the housing when the blade carrier is in an extended position causes a top edge of the blade carrier to come into contact with the housing to frictionally lock the blade carrier in the extended position until the cutting force is removed.  
   
   
       40 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 36 , further including: 
 means for biasing the blade carrier toward a retracted position away from a distal end of the housing.    
   
   
       41 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the means for biasing includes a spring.  
   
   
       42 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein one or more of the engaging portions include a gripping surface.  
   
   
       43 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the gripping surface includes ridges.  
   
   
       44 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the housing includes an indented portion sized to receive spare blades.  
   
   
       45 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the two separable handle portions of the housing are pivotally coupled together.  
   
   
       46 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 45 , further comprising: 
 means for securing the two separable handle portions of the housing together.    
   
   
       47 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein one of the two separable handle portions includes a threaded channel, and the means for securing includes a screw with a threaded surface complementary to the threaded channel, the screw including a head with a perimeter portion that can be rotated by a user of the cutting apparatus.  
   
   
       48 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein the perimeter portion is shaped for gripping the screw.  
   
   
       49 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein the head is shaped to include an ornamental design.  
   
   
       50 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein the head is shaped as a tire on a rim.  
   
   
       51 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein the head is shaped as a tire.  
   
   
       52 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein the head is shaped as a rim for a tire.  
   
   
       53 . The cutter apparatus of  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 a clip holster sized to receive the housing therein.